Question it
by akami
Summary: What if the last part of boiling rock happened differently? .. Another boiling rock rewrite.. and the events that happen after it.
1. Question it

Author's Note: O noses, another boiling rock rewrite. Hmmmm. Just something that randomly struck me one day.. that I just decided to write now. Chars are prob OOC. And fail. But whatever +_+

*Disclaimer* Everything from Avatar © their respect respective owners

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"Leave us alone," she ordered. The guards released their hold on the other girl, saluted, and then stepped back a good distance away. They knew better than to get in the way of the Fire Nation Princess.

The three childhood friends stared at each other, and though they were surrounded by guards all around them, it felt like it was them, and only them on that platform.

Tense moments passed, and finally she spoke. There was a cold anger, and deeper within, a hidden hurt that only those close to her could hear.

"I never expected this from you. The thing I don't understand is why. Why would you do it? You know the consequences," she bit out as she struggled to keep her voice level. She noted that Ty Lee was off to the side looking worriedly between them.

Mai looked at her calmly, her eyes determined as she picked her words carefully. "I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko, more than I fear you."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Mai regretted it as she caught sight of the hurt that appeared on her face. It had disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared, and nothing but anger remained.

"NO, YOU MISCALCULATED," she angrily shouted. "YOU SHOULD HAVE LO—" the word had tumbled out before she could stop it, and she clamped her mouth shut and looked away in shame and embarrassment at her slip-up.

Mai looked over to Azula in shock, and then turned to Ty Lee who looked equally surprised.

The weapon specialist gave out a small sigh, and then looked over at Azula who was angrily glaring at the floor.

"Were we really friends, Azula?" she asked gently, and the princess looked up finally and golden eyes met golden eyes.

"… I…" and there was that memory of her setting the apple on fire. "… don't know…" she finished. They were, weren't they? Flashbacks of her forcing Mai and Ty Lee to follow her surfaced in her mind, and with it, doubts of the validity of their friendship. _Weren't they friends?_ She had never treated them like they were, had she? It was no wonder Mai had chosen Zuko over her; she had never told Mai and Ty Lee how much they had actually meant to her… They… _should_ know though, shouldn't they…?

"Of course we are!" Ty Lee shouted at them, and they both turned to look at the other girl as angry tears threatened to spill from her grey eyes. "How can you two even question that?!" she glared at them. "Sure, we've had our ups and downs, but that's what it means to be friends!"

They both looked away, feeling guilty at having made the bubbly girl cry. .

"SAY SOMETHING!" Ty Lee demanded as she angrily wiped at her eyes. "We _are_ friends, aren't we?" she pleaded to them.

"…you know even my status as princess can't save you," Azula admitted quietly, and Mai merely nodded. She knew what would happen to her when she had thrown that first knife. She had already accepted it.

"Azula? Mai?" Ty Lee looked back and forth from her friends, confusion apparent on her face.

"…is my brother really worth this?" Azula asked, easily ignoring the acrobat. She stared at Mai's normally neutral face and felt her eyes widen slightly as she caught the small smile that tugged upwards from Mai's lips.

"Yes, he is."

"I see," Azula replied, though it was apparent to them all that she really didn't. The two looked at each other briefly, and surprisingly Azula was the first to look away.

"Guards!" she called out a few soldiers that were still silently observing off to side. They approached her, and she gestured to Mai. "Take her away and lock her up for treason."

"Azula??" Ty Lee looked in surprise at her friend and turned to Mai who shook her head.

"It's okay, Ty Lee," Mai gave her another one of her rare small smiles even as the guards pulled her arms behind her back and shoved her forward.

Azula kept her face blank as she watched the guards lead Mai away.

"Wait," Mai said suddenly, and turned to look pointedly at the Princess. The guards moved to drag her, but Azula held out her hand and signaled for the guards to let Mai speak.

"… I hope that one day… you'll find someone worth it," Mai glanced at her and then turned away and started walking toward the prison cells. The guards blinked and then ran to catch up to her.

"Azula…?" Ty Lee looked worriedly at the prodigy who remained rooted in her spot, eyes gazing at Mai's back.

"Let's go, Ty Lee," Azula responded softly after another silent minute or two, and then started walking in the opposite direction they had taken Mai. She was heading to the main tower where she would send a messenger hawk for another airship to get them off the island. She tried not to think that only the two of them would be leaving this time.

Ty Lee watched Azula walk away for a bit before turning and barely catching sight of Mai before she disappeared inside the prison building. The acrobat felt tears in her eyes once more and brushed them away quickly before chasing after Azula who was already halfway to the tower.

"Azula! Wait for me!"

--


	2. Learn it

Author's Note: ... we'll see how far I get with this.

*Disclaimer* Everything from Avatar © their respect respective owners

--

"I have returned, my Lord," she said while bowing low to the ground. She was currently inside the Fire Lord's main fire room after having been summoned almost immediately after her arrival back to the Fire Nation.

The dark figure sitting behind his blanket of fires shifted slightly, and she felt a sense of dread creep up within herself. She knew he would not be happy with the news.

"It seems that you have indeed returned, my daughter," he spoke in a low voice that seemed to echo all around the room. "And it seems… that you have returned empty handed."

She flinched slightly at his words and bowed even lower. "I apologize, my Lord. I was outma—"

"Hold your tongue! I do not want to hear any more excuses from you! You have failed me once when you failed to destroy the Avatar, and now you allowed _your brother_ to escape the Boiling Rock, something which should have been ultimately _impossible_!" He paused here, and she kept silent as she continued to avert her eyes away from his piercing gaze.

"He was already imprisoned. Already within our grasp_. _Within _my_ grasp. And you let him _escape,_" he spat the last word out with disgust. He rose from his seat then, and towered even more over her. She risked a glance up and noticed that the wall of flames had grown larger, fueled by his anger.

"It also seems that one of your comrades has betrayed you," he threw out suddenly and she had to quickly change her line of thought to follow him.

"Y-yes, my Lord," she stammered out, and inwardly cringed at how weak she sounded. She knew that he would notice how unsettled she seemed at Mai's betrayal, and that sense of dread increased tenfold.

"Her name was… Mai, wasn't it?" he asked and though they both knew that he knew her name, she answered him with solid yes. "I remember her…" he mused lightly, and her mind raced as she tried to determine the hidden meaning underneath his words.

Her thoughts stopped almost immediately as the next set of words escaped his mouth.

"Your other friend… what was her name?"

She chanced another glance upwards and though she could barely see his silhouette through the flames, knew that he was still watching her.

"Her name is… Ty Lee, my Lord," she replied hesitantly, and he hmm'ed in response.

"Yes… yes, Ty Lee. I remember her as well."

She ignored the growing knot in her stomach at the sudden silence that filled the room.

"Azula," he called out to her after a few tense moments, and her head snapped up immediately at the sound of her name.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"It seems your _friends_ have become a liability."

Confusion ran across her face and she merely looked at her father. "My Lord?"

"I have always told you, _drilled_ into you that the notion of family and friends, that the notion of _love_ is useless, haven't I?" he questioned, and she kept her mouth shut knowing that he did not want a reply from her. "The people all around you are either your _allies_ or your _enemies, _but either way, they both can be controlled by _fear_. _Fear_ is the thing that keeps them all in line. Keeps things like what happened between you and your _friend, _Mai, from happening," he continued.

She was tempted to interrupt him, to tell him that Mai had betrayed her out of _love_ for Zuko, but she knew better than to speak out.

"But it appears that you haven't taken my words to heart," and here he tsk'ed at her, and she could feel the disappointment in his words. "I am going to give you one more chance. One more try to prove your worth to me. I want you to find your brother, and I want you to _end him_. You will not return to the Fire Nation unless you _have his head on a silver platter_, do you understand me?"

She bowed low to the ground once more, feeling relief that he was allowing her to make up for her mistakes. "Yes, my Lord. I understand my orders." She looked up to him once more. "If that is all, my Lord?"

She watched as he settled down into his seat once more, and saw him wave his hand, dismissing her. She bowed again, and then stood up and started making her way to the exit.

"Oh, and Azula?" She was halfway down the hallway when he called out to her, and she stopped her walking and waited for him to continue. "I have already ordered my guards to capture your friend, _Ty Lee_. She will be sent to the Boiling Rock, where she will remain until further notice. There's no guarantee that she would not have betrayed you as well, and I do not want to take the risk," he waited a bit to see if she would respond before continuing. "I am doing this for your own good, child. To teach you a lesson. Learn it, and learn it well," he finished and she knew that she was truly dismissed.

Her body felt numb as she walked out of the Fire Lord's room. Mai was gone, and now Ty Lee had been taken from her too.

--


	3. Hate it

Author's note: don't you hate it when you think so far into your story that you don't even want to write it anymore? .. I'll be gone till Sunday so no updates from me till then :) happy thanksgiving …. aren't these chapters so amazingly short? .. at least updates will be more frequent?

*Disclaimer* Everything from Avatar © their respect respective owners

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She was standing on the top watch tower (more like metal platform placed randomly at the top) of the airship, thoughts going round and round in circles as the vessel brought her closer and closer to the Western Air temple. A few soldiers had spotted the warship Zuko had stolen heading in this general direction, so it was safe to assume they were hiding out in the old abandoned air city.

She was staring straight ahead, eyes unfocused and face furrowed deep in thought as she dwelled on her mission, on her father …and on Mai and Ty Lee. She sighed softly and glanced down to the airship that had been so 'graciously' given to her by the Fire Lord.

She was the Fire Nation Princess. Therefore all her life she had grown up surrounded by the military and in turn knew the inner tidings that made _up_ the military, and this was not limited to just people. She knew how the tanks were structured, how each warship was built. How the steel was tempered and molded and made to fit each and everything perfectly. She even knew of the old archaic war canons that Fire Lord Sozin had first built over a hundred years ago when he had first started the war. And because she knew all this, she also knew that the ship her father had issued to her was nothing more than a transporting vehicle that was used to carry heavier cargo from city to city.

The airships were a new addition to the military, but she had made sure to know all about them as soon as they first started assembly. She had watched as they had built the structure inside out and it was because of this that she knew about the differences between the ship she was currently standing on, compared to the ship she had used to fly to the Boiling Rock.

Her current airship was slower than one made for battle. It was smaller, and needed only a handful of crew members to run and maintain the equally smaller engine. He had told her that this ship was all he could spare for her; the other ships were needed to prepare for Soizin's comet and needed to be in perfect condition when the meteorite arrived. She knew that he could easily have spared her three, or even four of those warships, but she also knew that this was _also _part of her punishment.

When Zuko had been banished from the Fire Nation, the Fire Lord had granted him a warship and a crew to follow him on his journey. The ship had been the smallest in the harbor, and the crew had been kept to a bare minimum. All her life, she had been the favored child compared to Zuko but even she knew that her father did not look lightly to failures, and no amount of favoritism could offset that. She knew that in his eyes he now saw her on equal ground as her brother, and this angered her more than anything else.

She had always followed him unwaveringly; followed his orders and commands without a second thought. So what if she had kept her friends, and actually _cared_ for them? If she remembered correctly, he had been the one who had told her that it was always good to have allies of other noble families close to you. She had followed his words, and had made two _damn good_ allies if she said so herself. They were great fighters, and could take down ten men _twice_ their size single handedly. And the best part in all of this was that they would _still be her allies_ if her father hadn't interfered. Mai had betrayed her for Zuko, yes, but now she wondered that maybe if she hadn't controlled their friendship with the _fear_ her father taught her, maybe Mai would still be by her side. And Ty Lee… well that was definitely all him right there.

She angrily gripped the rail that surrounded her small little platform but pulled back suddenly when her hands ignited in blue flames. A bit of the metal melted off, and she sighed once more, exhaling out her anger at the same time. This ship was also made with leftover scrap material from the _other_ ships.

She caught sight of the barely visible mountains in the distance, and she willed her thoughts to calm down. She was still debating what she wanted to do, but for now she would follow her orders… though she wasn't sure if she would truly carry them out.

--

Author's additional note: … I actually wanted this chapter longer, but this seemed like a great place to stop at. FAIL.


	4. Fight it

Disclaimer: *Disclaimer* Everything from Avatar © their respect respective owners

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"What are you doing here?" her brother shouted up to her, demanding an answer.

She stared down at him from her perch atop her airship, but did not reply. She was looking at him, her eyes searching for that _something_ that she knew her brother had that she didn't.

She saw the same jaw line and high cheekbones that she knew they both inherited from their father. Saw the same golden eyes that signified their high heritage of royalty from the Fire Nation. Saw the same dark brown, almost black hair that they inherited from both their parents. She saw… her older brother, looking up at her, annoyance on his face as she continued to remain silent.

She knew she wouldn't be able to find what she was looking for, but still she looked at him, her eyes almost desperate as her mind tried to grasp onto something.

"Answer me!" he shouted out to her, and she could feel the anger in his voice that was directed to her.

She still did not respond.

She wanted to. Wanted to tell him exactly why she was here, but she couldn't. Well, it was more like she didn't how to, because she herself wasn't quite sure why she was here. Her father had sent her here to eliminate him, but for once in her life, she felt her loyalty to the Fire Lord wavering. She was questioning his words and felt tempted to defy them. For once in her life… she wanted to decide on something for herself, without having to worry about whether or not it met her father's expectations.

As she mentally debated her own thoughts, the airship continued to hover close to the cliff that her brother was on, and she watched as he decided something to himself and stepped back a few paces. She could have stopped him. Could have sent a wave of fire that would have at least made it more difficult for him to do what she knew he was planning to do. She merely looked on as he suddenly ran forward and jumped across to board the airship. He landed with a metal **thunk**! and then turned his head upwards and looked at her determinedly.

"… _is my brother really worth this?"_ she heard her own words echo in her mind.

And then she heard the words that had been constantly repeating in her thoughts ever since that day.

"_Yes, he is."_

And then there was this sudden bubble of anger that erupted from inside of her, and her eyes stared down at him, her expression turning from blank to cold and hard. She wanted to know why Mai had done what she had done, and she _knew_ her brother would know.

Without another moment's hesitation, she moved to the small metal ladder that led down to the top of the airship, grabbed the sides and then wrapped her shoes around them and slid down. The metal burned her hands as she quickly descended, but she ignored them for she had more pressing matters to attend to.

As a child she had hated the idea of _not knowing_, and had studied everything she could get her hands onto so that she wouldn't be kept in the dark. As she had grown older, that urge to _know_ had grown with her, and so she had turned to learning about the other nations as well, studying everything from their people to their history to their myths and superstitions.

And here she was now, faced with an issue that she didn't understand. And she desperately wanted, _needed_, to know.

"Hello, Zuko," she stated calmly as she landed on the metal airship. He stayed where he was, waiting patiently for her to make the first move.

"Azula," he responded, and she could hear the confidence in his voice, something that he had always lacked even as a child.

She merely straightened and moved into her familiar battle stance. It didn't matter to her if Zuko suddenly gained a backbone, or if he turned into a green hippo-fly or if he grew an extra arm. Her father's orders also didn't matter. All that mattered to her was that there was something she wanted answers to, and she wanted those answers _now._

She brought her arm back, and made the first move. It was _on_.

--

Author's Note: Okay. Why is it whenever I want something to write something a certain way it always changes when I end up actually writing it?


	5. Take it

*Disclaimer* Everything from Avatar © their respect respective owners

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She was falling…falling. Down…down…down.

The wind was whipping all around her, and all she could hear was it whistling past her ears as she continued her descent. She spared a glance to where she had last seen her airship and took note of the small clouds of smoke that were puffing out from the part that had caught on fire. She also noted that it was no longer hovering by the cliff beside the air temple. It was moving. Leaving. _Abandoning_ _her_. Just like everything else had.

She sighed softly and closed her eyes. She felt no sense of panic, felt no sense of fear even as the ground continued approaching closer and closer. She knew nothing short of a miracle could save her now, but she honestly didn't know if she even cared.

How fitting of an end this would be for her. Her whole life had been spiraling downwards these past few days; it would be perfect for her to literally spiral downwards to her death as well. She sighed once more and wondered when she had become such a coward. If she had been in this situation a week ago, she knew that she would have created her _own_ miracle and would have struggled to survive. But here she was now, moments away from dying and accepting it without a fight. Thoughts of Ty Lee and Mai imprisoned in Boiling Rock flashed in her mind, but she forced them away. How could she save them? She couldn't even save _herself_.

Truthfully, she felt drained. Felt like everything she had ever lived for was gone, and she felt confused and numb and lost. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. Not since--- and here she stopped that thought abruptly. Even as death was rushing towards her, she still refused to let memories of _that_ woman invade her mind. She knew she would eventually have to face it; face _her_, but even after so many years that wound was still too fresh and still too real. She forced her thoughts onto something else. She wasn't going to spend her last moments alive haunted by old memories.

She cycled through some things in her mind, but thoughts of her brother stood out from all the rest and she grasped onto it. Although he was the cause of her current situation, even she was surprised to find that she held no _real _resentment towards him. Oh, there was still _some_, but she knew that the feeling was mutual for him as well. With the childhood the both of them had had, there could be no possible way for them _not_ to resent each other; their father had seen to that. Besides that usual feeling of sibling rivalry however, there was nothing else there. In fact, she felt a little impressed by him; he had held his ground against her for once… and had actually won. Sure, there were a lot of factors that had leaned considerably in his favor, but in the end it was her that was currently tumbling down to her death. That was a win, wasn't it?

The analytical part of her mind was already re-analyzing how well he had fought as well as how much he had improved. His fire was stronger now; not as strong as _her_ fire of course, but it was a lot better than it had been before. Their fight at the Boiling Rock had been cut short so she hadn't noticed it then, but if she thought about it, the signs had been there. She had been too busy with things to really think about it until now.

Her thoughts went back to the fight on the airship. The fight had started evenly enough. She had begun with a simple fireball; a basic move that all firebenders learned at first since it was the basis of all other firebending techniques. She had watched as it had sailed expertly across to where he had stood, and looked on as he brought his own hand forward, easily dissipating the fire before falling back into a defensive stance.

She had thrown out another larger fireball almost immediately after, and had watched as he had repeated the same motion and within seconds the ball of fire was gone as well. This time however, instead of waiting for her next move, he had thrown out his own fireball at her. She had blocked it without much difficulty, but even as it had disappeared, she had felt a solid power behind that attack. It was similar, in a way, to her own strength that she held in her fire, and she had wondered then if he finally understood the element like she did. That thought had been cut short however when she realized that he was already firing off another blast, and she had forced her thoughts back into the fight.

They had continued to throw fire at each other for a while, but with each block and every attack, the two siblings had moved closer and closer to each other and soon they were exchanging physical blows as well. She knew she was a skilled fighter; probably one of the best in the Fire Nation, but she also knew that she currently wasn't at her best. Her thoughts were distracted and she had slept very little in the past few days. There was also something missing in her. She currently lacked the motivation that was normally present behind every move she usual made. She knew this, and she knew her brother could see the change in her as well. The anger she had felt earlier was gone as well; replaced by that same empty feeling that seemed to now rest over her like a second skin.

As their fight persisted, she had felt her own resolve slowly crumbling and her movements had turned sloppy. Zuko had pressed on, and he had easily gained the upper hand against her. In a desperate move, she had thrown out a high punch hoping to drive him backwards, but he had easily parried her and had countered with a punch that had sent her reeling back. Any other day, she knew she would have been able to dodge that punch; even Zuko had seemed surprised when his fist had connected. Of course, the surprise on his face might have been because she was falling back… and there was nothing behind her to fall back on.

She had stepped backwards and had felt nothing under her foot. A glance behind her, and she realized that they had somehow fought their way to the edge. She really shouldn't have been surprised; they had been fighting on such a small airship after all. Her body fell back and even she could see the amusement in this situation. She had felt a sad smile somehow slink onto her face.

"Azula!" she had looked up and saw her brother looking at her, confusion, surprise, and maybe a bit of fear on his face. She remembered looking at him with that smile still on her face, and then she was falling and he became smaller and smaller until she could no longer distinguish his face from the airship he was standing on.

And here she was. Falling…falling. Down…down…down. She briefly wondered if it would be quick and painless. Wondered if anyone would even retrieve her broken body and give her a proper burial. Wondered… if there was anything for her after this; after her life was over. She apologized to Ty Lee and Mai in her head. She really hadn't wanted it to end like this. She leaned back and waited for the inevitable to happen.

"…..ula!" she thought she heard someone call her but ignored it; there was no way anyone else would be looking for her here. Even her own crew had abandoned her.

"AZULA!" the voice repeated, and she realized that it sounded an awful lot like her brother. She cracked an eye open.

"Take my hand!" he shouted at her and her eyes flew open as she realized that it _was_ her brother she had heard. He was currently riding in the Avatar's air bison. She could see the two water tribe siblings along with the Avatar, the blind earthbender, and the Kyoshi warrior sitting in the back. Zuko was holding out his hand to her, trying to reach her even as the air bison struggled to catch up to her.

She looked at his hand and then looked to his face. She lifted her arm up slightly, but did not reach out to take his hand. A small part of her was tempted to, tempted to continue living. There was another part of her however, that didn't want to. Maybe…maybe it was better this way. Her brother… he could probably save Mai, and in turn, save Ty Lee as well.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted at her, and she didn't reply. She lowered her arm and closed her eyes once more. He would save Mai. She didn't doubt that.

"Azula!" he screamed out to her, but she ignored it. She heard the watertribe girl say something, but she ignored that as well.

"_Only fools and weaklings accept help from others," _her father's voice suddenly rang in her head and her eyes snapped open and she stared up at her brother as a thought occurred to her.

All her life she had turned down kind words and helping hands and where had it led her? To betrayal and to her plummeting to her death.

Her brother however, had always acknowledged those around him and had swallowed his pride and had accepted help from others, even if it took a while for him to do so. Was it this that made him better than her? Made Mai choose him over her? Her arm twitched and she looked at her brother, her eyes unexpectedly seeing him in a new light.

"Take my hand!" he cried out again and stretched his arm as far as he could. She glanced down below and saw the ground rushing towards her. She had a choice; to take his hand, or to continue downwards.

"_At least die in a way I can be proud of," _her father's voice commanded her, and it was then that she realized that she was tired of listening to him.

She raised her arm up and reached out for her brother's hand.

_"Pathetic,"_ her father called out to her.

She ignored him.

--

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews!

This chapter was supposed to be really short. And yeah that didn't happen. Obviously Azula wasn't going to fall to her death…. Obviously. Need to rewrite this…. But probably won't. I'll just submit it otherwise the story will never finish.


	6. Ask it

*Disclaimer* Everything from Avatar © their respect respective owners

--

It was night time now. Darkness all around except for the glow of the small fire that was burning slowly in front of her. Her eyes were looking upwards into the night sky as she searched for the familiar constellations she knew by heart. It reminded her a lot of her childhood… and of her older brother pointing out the stars to her so many years ago. That same brother was now sitting a bit away from her, and was watching her as she continued to ignore him.

He knew there was something different about her. Had realized it when she had first arrived at the Air Temple. It was subtle then, but as he stared at her now, he saw it even more clearly than before. He took in her full appearance: hair down and covering her face, posture slouched and tense, and for a second he had a flashback to himself, around three years ago when he had first been banished from home. She was almost as young as he had been then, and she looked about as lost as he had felt. He sighed softly. He knew she was hurting, but he couldn't help her unless she opened up to him… and so far he was doing a horrible job of getting her to do so.

"What happened?" he asked her again, and she remained silent.

She was looking up into the stars, searching for something and nothing and for someone and no one at the same time. She heard her brother sigh once more, and out of the corner of her eye, saw him slowly stand up. He was most likely moving to join the Avatar and others who had settled camp a distance away from her. She turned her eyes back to the darkness that was above her.

"Azula," his voice was closer now and she realized that he had actually moved to sit beside to her. He was mere inches away from her now, and if she moved her leg ever so slightly their knees would be touching.

Her eyes flickered to him briefly before she leaned down and drew her legs close to her until her chin was resting on them. She still did not reply.

"I can't help you if you won't say anything," he tried again. He was getting frustrated; she could tell that by the tone of his voice, but she still did not answer him. She wasn't sure what she needed help with. Something, everything?

He debated something in his head, raised his arm, hesitated, and then gently placed it on her shoulder. He felt her tense slightly, but she did not shrug him off. He took this as acceptance and gave her an awkward pat. He was pretty horrible at these kinds of things; and it had been a while since he had ever truly felt like an older brother to her.

If she wasn't feeling so down, she would have laughed at his weak attempt at comfort and would have shrugged him off early on. As it was though, she was feeling pretty awkward herself, and merely drew her legs closer to herself. Here they were, two awkward siblings placed in a situation none of them would have imagined ever would happen.

He withdrew his hand, and continued to silently sit next to her for five minutes or so before he finally decided to ask her another question.

"…What happened to Mai and Ty Lee?" he inquired. He saw her body tense and heard the sharp intake of breath. He had hit the jackpot. She still did not respond however and instead buried her face in her knees.

"Azula," he asked her more firmly and he saw her arms tighten slightly.

"…Nothing," she responded, voice sounding muffled and emotionless. Inside her mind, she was debating whether or not to tell him everything. She had taken his hand when he had offered it earlier, but old habits died hard and she was too used to burying all her troubles deep down opposed to accepting help from someone else. She sighed softly, and rubbed at her forehead tiredly.

"The Boiling Rock…" he said to her, and this time she raised her head and turned to stare at him. She took in the sight of him, of the red angry scar that covered almost half of his face. Took in golden eyes that looked at her with sympathy, empathy… and of something else. She sat up a bit straighter and looked at him as he watched her.

"They're… both at the Boiling Rock…" she said softly, and before she could stop herself, she told him everything. Of Mai's betrayal, though he knew about that, of Father's imprisonment of Ty Lee, and of her own form of banishment that father had issued her.

He listened quietly as the story tumbled out of her mouth, and though he was shocked to hear about Ty Lee being captured, he realized that he really shouldn't have been so surprised. It seemed like something their father would do. He was surprised, however, to hear that their father had pretty much disowned his sister much like he himself had been disowned. Ever since they had been children, she had always been the favorite and he had assumed that in their father's eyes Azula could do no wrong. He should have known better though. Their father… nothing was ever good enough for him.

He looked at his sister and felt guilt build up inside him. At least he had their Mother and then their Uncle to fall back onto when he had been hurting. She had had no one. Mai and Ty Lee counted, but that was something different. They were only there at certain times; he, on the other hand, always had someone to run to.

It was mostly his fault too. He had distanced himself away from her because of jealousy, and Uncle had never grown an attachment to her like he had to him, most likely because Lu Ten had perished in the war. And Mother… well he remembered what Azula had said when they had been at the beach. He knew that Mother loved them both equally, but he could see why his sister thought otherwise. It was similar to how he felt about Father loving Azula more. He only now realized that she never really did have his love at all. Neither of them did. The only difference between them was that she was able to keep their father's attention longer than he himself could… though in the end she was also abandoned like he had been. He groaned angrily and grabbed his hair in frustration. Why couldn't their family have been normal?

She watched as he pulled at his hair but bit back the remark she was about say and instead sighed.

"… Are you going to rescue Mai?" she asked quietly, and he sat up quickly as if he suddenly remembered where he was. He looked at her and lowered his hands until they were resting on his knees. He averted his eyes after a few silent moments, and then stared to look into the fire.

"I… can't," he answered, and she looked at him, eyes narrowed.

"She risked her life to save you… because she _loves…_ you… but you won't do the same for her?"

"It's complicated," he sighed, and she continued to stare at him, demanding an answer. Mai had given up everything, _everything_ for him… but he wasn't going to lift a finger to help her? She didn't understand this love that Mai spoke of; how could someone like this be worth ruining their life for?

"I…" he continued to look at everything but her. "…the comet is arriving soon, and Aang still needs a lot of practice with firebending. I can't--- I can't abandon them, not now. Not when we're so close to ending the war…."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand his reasoning. As she tried to understand why Mai had chosen him over her.

"What about you?" she realized her brother was still talking and she looked at him blankly. He stared at her in return and they watched each other for a few moments before she rolled her eyes at him.

"I wasn't paying attention. What did you ask me?" she clarified for him, and he looked embarrassed for a second before his face turned serious again.

"I asked if you were going to rescue them," he asked her again, and she averted her eyes.

"I… can't," she muttered, and he looked at her.

"Why not?" he pressed on, and she leaned in closer to her legs, her long hair once more blocking her face from his stare.

"I… just can't," she replied softly, and he knew no matter how much he pushed, she wouldn't answer him until she was ready.

He watched her for a few minutes before he finally stood once more.

"Listen," and though there was no reply he knew she was listening. "I'm going to talk to the others… about letting you join us."

She moved her head slightly and he could see one golden eye staring at him from behind her dark hair. He leaned down, gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and then straightened up.

"I'll be back," he stated before he headed off to the direction the others were in.

She watched him for a bit before turning her attention back to the fire in front of her. It was night time. And there was darkness all around.

--

Author's Note: Sorry. Got a little lazy with writing. At least I finally got this updated. I already have the next chapter planned in my head, but we'll see how long it'll take for me to write that : ). Hmmmmm. Duno how I feel about this chapter.


	7. Accept it

*Disclaimer* Everything from Avatar © their respect respective owners

Author's note: Now this doesn't really happen often (or at all really) that suddenly I will pick up a story after having abandoned it for like, two years. But I've been kind of getting back into avatar, though mostly just the arts and little fanfics here and there. I appreciate each and every one of those reviews I received, and I thank you all for taking the time to leave me assurance that my writing/stories aren't as bad as I would believe them to be (or maybe they are and you people are just super nice).

* * *

As much as she'd like to admit that she was doing fine by herself, she had realized that since a few hours ago the same thoughts in her head were going round and round with no indication of stopping any time soon. And, as much as she'd hate to admit it, even Zuko's presence would have been a wanted welcome. But oh no, Zuzu wasn't there to help her; he had apparently gone on some life changing adventure with the waterbender to, as he put it, "gain acceptance" for both him _and_ her. She wasn't quite sure anything was capable of getting rid of that chip off the waterbender's shoulder, but she had merely nodded and watched as they both set off in the Avatar's sky bison.

So here she was, sitting all by her lonesome self, drowning in thoughts she had once upon a time buried deep, _deep_, down. Technically, nothing was stopping her from standing up and moving over to join the Avatar and the others. Well, nothing except for her pride. And the fact that she was sure the others were still weary of her, though she didn't blame them. She'd hate to admit it—actually she'd hate to admit a lot of things, but she herself was weary of them as well. Being on separate sides in a war would do that to people.

She was tempted, however. Tempted to just stop thinking, and to get up and walk on over just so that she could _stop thinking_. And she was so distracted on thinking about how not to think, that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until a voice called out to her in greeting.

"Uh, hi."

Azula jerked in surprise, turned around to face the owner of the hesitant voice, and then stared in confusion.

Suki gave out a chuckle as she noticed Azula's expression and felt some of the tension ease out from her shoulders.

"I was at least expecting you to shoot me with fire or something," Suki joked, but gave a small cough when all she received was a blank stare.

"Ahem. Anyways, I came here to talk, and so here I am."

Another awkward silence passed as Azula stared up at the Kyoshi warrior as if trying to decide on something. Eventually she sighed and turned her body, returning her gaze back to the area around them.

"So talk," the former princess stated flatly.

Suki was surprised at Azula's reaction, but instead of speaking, she walked towards the other girl and sat down beside her. Azula's eyes remained staring straight ahead, but Suki knew she had her attention.

"Listen," and golden eyes glanced over at the Kyoshi warrior in curiosity. Gone was the previously amiable voice and in its stead was the hardened steel voice of a leader. A voice she recognized all too well.

"I'm not going to lie, and say that I want you in the group. From what I've heard from the others, and from what you did to the Kyoshi Warriors, myself included, I can easily say that you're just like any other Fire Nation soldier. You take what you want, and destroy those in your way without even thinking of the consequences. You exist solely for the purpose of war; of hurting families, destroying lives—"

And here, Azula interrupted her speech. Despite being appreciative of the distraction, she realized she was rather tired of people blaming her for their problems.

"Look, if you just wanted to preach about how bad a person I am—you're just wasting your time. Don't think I haven't heard it all before, because—"

"No, look, just listen to me first before you say anything okay?"

Azula looked affronted but grumbled in response.

"Right," Suki paused briefly, as if debating what to say. "You're the epitome of all those things I hate about the Fire Nation," and here she held up a hand to stop Azula from interrupting again.

"But unlike the others, or maybe more than the others, in a way I can understand why you did what you did."

Suki's eyes locked onto Azula's forcing the other girl to keep eye contact.

"The first time I met Aang and Sokka and Katara, my group of warriors ambushed them and tied them up. If Aang hadn't proved himself to be the Avatar, we would've thrown them to the Una… well, they would've been eaten alive by a pretty big water serpent."

At Azula's blank look Suki sighed.

"The point that I'm making is that—well, the world we're living in is a war torn world. Kyoshi Island had stayed out of the war for decades—by making sure that intruders were dealt with in a _timely_ manner. It didn't matter who they were; we were going to stay out of the war even if some people had to disappear to ensure that. We isolated ourselves and though we considered ourselves to be peaceful, the island itself had an assembled army. Sure, the size of the army is nothing compared to the Fire Nation's, but they were still warriors trained for the sole purpose of decapitating an enemy if the need should ever arise. I was, and still am, a part of that army."

Suki paused, letting the words sink in before she continued.

"I've had a lot of time to think," and here Azula glanced away briefly. Suki wondered if it was because the other girl felt guilty, but dismissed it when golden eyes looked at her again, showing no signs of remorse.

"And I realized that if my team had won, we would have done the same to you three. Although you initiated the fight, we would have had to apprehend you three for your hostile actions, as well as for other reasons. Earth kingdom prisons are scarce but they do exist. The nearest prison would have been in Ba Sing Se, which means you three would've been turned over to the Dai Li. I wouldn't wish that treatment on anyone but protocol would have required us to turn you in. I've heard some of their methods are crueler than Fire Nation prisons, if you can believe that."

"I've… encountered the Dai Li," Azula responded hesitantly. 'Not to mention they're under my thumb now….though now that I've been banished I'm not sure what will happen to them…'

"Now, I'm not saying that I agree or accept all of the things that you or your people have done, but some things can't be preventable, especially in time of war."

Briefly Suki's eyes gained a distant, far off look, before snapping back to meet Azula's gaze. She gave a small smile.

"Anyways, if I can forgive your brother for burning down my village, I think I could forgive you for locking me up in jail," Suki concluded.

Azula was mulling over her words when a thought occurred to her.

"You didn't seem so understanding when you were attacking me and Ty-well, us at the Boiling Rock," Azula pointed out.

Suki laughed. "We were, and maybe still are, on separate sides. Just because I said I forgive you doesn't mean that I can't hold a grudge. My pride as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors suffered a major blow when the three of you defeated us so easily."

Azula looked thoughtful for a moment. "From what little I saw of your…fight, I could tell you were almost on par with… with… your opponent."

"Well, that's one thing I have to thank you for; I had so much time in jail all I did was train. The Boiling Rock wasn't as I expected it to be, especially for a Fire Nation prison. They mostly leave you alone if you're on good behavior. If anything the boredom is what slowly tortures people to death. Well, that, and the isolation."

"Yes… well, how the prison is run depends on the one in charge of the facilities. M…ai's uncle, the warden… from what I remember of him as long as you gave him respect and didn't try to escape he'd treat you fairly. Unless he didn't like you…" Azula murmured distractedly.

The conversation lapsed into silence as Azula was once again lost in her thoughts. Suki chuckled to herself and then stood up. She brushed off the dust from her pants and held out a hand to Azula.

"Come on, there's no use in continuing to wallow by yourself here; you might as well join us at the camp," Suki stated before glancing over behind them where a familiar bushy wolf tail was poking out from behind some rocks.

"That, and if I stay here any longer talking to you Sokka's probably going to do something really stupid really soon."

"Hey!" an indignant yell cried out from behind the rock before shushing noises were heard, some rustling, and then silence.

Azula glanced up at the outstretched hand in front of her. She hesitated briefly before she shook her head and accepted it.

* * *

Author's 2nd note: I knowwww…. Suki's OOC and whatever, but I'd like to believe Suki would be the cool, understanding leader type. She'd forgive, but never forget. They never really expanded on Suki's char, so I kinda melded her into this type. Hate it or love it, whatever

If you're still following this story (probably not), I'm not sure when the next update might be. It might be a few days from now, or a few weeks. Or I might even abandon this story once more. Obviously the plot is following all the episodes of Season 3, with Azula mixed into the gaang and their interactions together. There will be differences, both subtle and glaringly obvious ones. The ultimate one will be that Azula and Zuko won't have their epic fight at the end. Which leads to the question: who will be fighting Zuko and Katara at the end? And what will Azula be doing to help end the war?

These are both rhetorical questions mind you, but if you'd like to answer and maybe give me some hints as how to continue this story and not hit a wall, I'd love to hear your ideas.

Oh, what's that? I can't hear you guys over the crickets chirping


	8. Challenge it

Author's Note: short chapter, because I like leaving out details and doing short time skips.

Thank youuuus to the reviewers: Fanatic, ArrayePL, Tigris Admirallus, The Real Iggy (insomniac) and Joe(what a short name!) for leaving reviews and keeping up with this story (somehowwww)! Not to mention the other reviewers that left comments once upon a time(years ago): CrayonsPink, ragamuffin, Quatermass, SaberGirl1005, ActionFry, zukoxluver, luvinforever, Halovex, (wow ppl have interesting names), Kaika-sama, arizony, aflaskj., and youn2731. fear not, the story hasn't ended yet but I never did take the time to refer to you guys individually so this is the best I can do ! thank you againsss. (can you say word filler? Uh huh)

Also, I stole Toph's nickname for Azula from a fanfic I read on the site somewhere… I'm sorry I don't remember where it's from, but I thought it was the best nickname I had read for her, so I had to use it! Thank you, fanfic writer(s) that I don't remember(sorry!) for the idea! I think I've seen two different stories that have used the nickname.. or something

There are no guarantees, but i think i might be able to finish this story somehow before the year endss! sorry in advance if it ends up being disappointing

* * *

She glanced over at her opponent, wondering briefly how it had come to this. She remembered following the Kyoshi Warrior back to camp, raising her eyebrow at the watertribe peasant and had exchanged a few neutral words with the Avatar. Somehow, however, one thing had led to another and now she was facing off with the blind earthbender in a one on one match. Normally, she would be eager to test her abilities against another talented fighter, but she knew that in her current state she was at a disadvantage.

She sighed as she brushed back her bangs irately. She wasn't used to having her hair hang loose; it kept getting in her way. She was tempted to go retrieve her hair ornament just to tie the annoying thing up but the thought of said item however, brought a weird feeling into her stomach and she knew that option was out; she was going to have to fight with her hair down. This would only serve to be another hindrance and she huffed her breath out angrily, blowing her long bangs away from her eyes.

"Ready when you are, platypus bear," Toph called out. Azula bristled slightly at the condescending tone the younger girl had adopted, not to mention the ridiculous nickname the other girl had decided for her. Sure, she had been the one to call herself that, but couldn't the blind girl think of something better? There had to be a-

She shook her head as she realized she was getting distracted. She took a deep breath and released it slowly, using the opportunity to center herself. Maybe this fight was what she needed to get her out of her slump; something to get her blood boiling again.

She stepped back and then cautiously threw her fist out in front of her. A bright blue fireball sailed forward and headed straight to the earthbender. Toph reacted almost instantly and moved out of the way. She then countered with a rock spike that would have thrown Azula off her feet had she remained in her spot.

Instead, Azula had dodged it seconds before the formation had jutted out and had followed through with a lower roundhouse kick that threw a new wave of fire forward. Toph easily shifted the ground below her and slid to the left just as she felt the heat of the flames pass by.

"What's the matter, platypus bear?" Toph taunted. "Your flames feel a bit weaker than normal. Is the Princess, or should I say, _former_ Princess losing her touch? I've felt camp fires burn stronger than yours!"

Azula narrowed her eyes and shifted into one of her favorite stances: feet apart, right arm pulled back, left arm forward and both hands positioned with her index and middle finger pointing to the front.

Toph smiled that mischievous smile of hers as she felt the immediate confidence in Azula's movements. Maybe the firebender had some fight left in her after all.


	9. Heal it

Edit: Oh, I had posted this earlier but I forgot some details…and had to take it down! whooopsssssss

* * *

Aang was in the midst of practicing his earthbending to distract himself when he noticed a shadow pass overhead and he glanced up knowingly. The sight of his best friend, Appa, greeted him and he knew that Katara and Zuko had finally returned. He quickly dropped his hands and moved the earth back into its original state before making his way over to the direction he had seen them descend.

By the time he reached their location, Zuko had already jumped down from Appa's saddle and was giving Katara a helping hand.

"Katara! Zuko!" Aang happily shouted to them, relieved in more ways than one to see his friends back safely.

Katara immediately brightened at hearing Aang's voice and greeted him with a hug once he was close enough. Aang returned the gesture before pulling back to regard both Katara and Zuko.

"How did… uh…?" he questioned nervously, still remembering how Katara had reacted when he had tried to talk her out of her revenge.

Katara sighed, and Aang took notice at how drained she looked.

"We found him and I had him exactly where I wanted," she closed her fist angrily, "But I couldn't do it. Even after all that he had done, after how many people I'm sure he has hurt, I couldn't do it. I'm not sure if it was because I was strong enough not to, or if it was because I wasn't strong enough to."

Aang gave her a smile. "I'm proud of you Katara, you did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step to healing."

"Thank you, Aang," Katara said before she took a deep breath and then sighed. She then turned to Zuko, giving him an apologetic smile. "And thank you, Zuko. For giving me the chance at closure."

"I'm glad I could help," Zuko nodded and then gestured towards the direction of camp. "I'm going to go check on my sister. She didn't do anything while we were gone, did she Aang?"

Aang immediately glanced away and then gave a nervous chuckle. "Uh, funny you should ask that…"

/-/-/-/-/

Azula shifted slightly and then regretted it immediately as a stab of pain shot through her body.

'Bad idea," she thought to herself. Her arm twitched and she bit back a groan.

"Hey," a familiar voice called out to her and she lifted her head to glance over at the entrance of the tent where she could see the top of Toph's unruly hair. "You doing okay there, clumsy feet?"

"Oh yeah," she responded sarcastically through gritted teeth, ignoring the nickname that was an obvious jab to her pride. "Just…. Peachy."

"Yeah," Toph agreed, "you sound great." She gave Azula a smirk which she was sure the other girl couldn't see. "Good news though. Katara and Zuko are back."

"Sounds… exciting. Are we… going to throw them a party?" Azula asked despite her pain.

Toph laughed. "Of course." There was a shift of cloth as Toph disappeared from Azula's view, leaving her alone once more.

She lowered her head and exhaled slowly, careful of her ribs. She then closed her eyes tiredly.

She had almost drifted off to sleep when she heard low voices arguing outside the tent. She tried her best to ignore them and had almost succeeded until someone mentioned her name and she jolted awake in response. Her sudden movement caused a cry of pain to escape her lips before she could stifle it and the voices stopped immediately. She then heard the tent rustle slightly.

"Hey, you awake, Azula?"

She opened one eye and peered over to glare at her brother. Despite her prone position on the floor, she managed to convey her annoyance quite well. He looked at her sheepishly and she grunted in response. He paused a bit before he stepped back, vanishing outside the tent once more. It wasn't long until she heard the conversation continue. Now that she was more awake she realized it sounded like the waterbender and Toph were arguing but she wasn't sure. A few more words were exchanged before it quieted down and she kept her sight at the entrance, waiting to see who would enter and tell her what was happening.

She was surprised when it was the dark-skinned girl that pushed through the tent moments later. They regarded each other carefully, as if unsure how to handle one another.

Finally, tiring of the silence, Azula spoke first.

"Is there something you need?" she asked coolly. She tried to sound intimidating but such a task was difficult when one was lying on their back.

Katara looked over at her and then she shook her head slowly.

"No…" her voice tapered off and she sighed. "Aang and Toph explained to me what happened."

"Then… you came here to laugh at me?" Azula questioned. It didn't seem like the waterbender was going to heal her and _she_ wouldn't be the one admitting she needed help.

"No!" Katara sighed again and then moved over until she was standing over Azula. Her blue eyes stared down at her and she looked at the other girl critically. "I'm doing this as a favor to Zuko, because he helped me. And, because Aang asked me to. I _still_ don't like you, and I will _never_ forgive you." She kneeled down slowly. "However," and here she lifted one of Azula's injured arms. "I'll never turn my back on an injured person, regardless of where they're from or who they are."

Azula eyed her suspiciously but stopped herself from telling the waterbender where she could take that self-sacrificing attitude of hers. She would do that later. After she was fully healed. Preferably in an area without any earth and where Toph wouldn't be within hearing range.

"Really…" her voice drawled out instead and she stiffened as Katara uncapped the water flask at her side. She could still remember the poor attempt the Avatar had made, trying his hand at first aid. It hadn't been very successful; her still present injuries were a clear example of that.

"It'll sting for a bit," Katara stated as she gathered the familiar water into her hands. She glanced at Azula, asking for permission to start. The other girl looked at her briefly, wondering if she had any ill intentions. A throb of pain relinquished such thoughts and she figured that if the waterbender wanted to kill her, she hoped it would at least be quick and painless. Probably not. She gave a slight nod.

It was quiet in the tent as Katara tended to Azula's wounds. Neither had anything to say even as the uncomfortable silence filled the air. This continued until Katara moved to heal Azula's ribs and the firebender winced as she felt her bones shift slightly; it didn't exactly hurt but it was a strange sensation.

"It'll be uncomfortable at first, especially when the bones move back into place," Katara explained and then gave a hesitant smile as if trying to comfort her. Azula merely closed her eyes and tried to ignore the other girl. Katara scowled.

Azula was sure she heard the waterbender mutter something about her being an 'ungrateful brat' but she pushed away her annoyance and concentrated on not cringing as she felt more bones reallocate. She grudgingly had to admit though, at least Katara knew what she was doing.

Gradually, Azula felt the fatigue settle in as the pain subsided bit by bit. Even as she tried to fight it, all the events from the days past were starting to catch up to her and her body relaxed despite her best efforts to stay awake.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a random thought occurred to her: she was letting her guard down in front of a watertribe peasant, something her old self would never have done, _ever_. This abruptly woke her up.

"Relax," the waterbender called out in an unidentifiable voice, "the bones won't set right if you tense up like that."

This tone of voice gave Azula the impulsive urge to defy the waterbender and to attack her. She opened her eyes with the clear intent of burning the other girl but froze as icy blue eyes glared down at her with an intensity that spoke of years full of hate and resentment.

She relaxed suddenly. The familiarity of being hated soothed her wounded soul and she looked at Katara with expectant eyes, waiting for the accusation that was bound to come.

"You know," Katara spoke finally, her voice surprisingly even, "that day Zuko tried to save you, and at first you had refused to take his hand?" she chuckled darkly. "I had secretly wished you would have continued refusing and then plummeted to your death." Katara sighed and moved her hands away. The water almost immediately splashed onto the floor as Katara turned her attention back to Azula.

"You're no different than my mother's killer. You killed Aang in cold blood; shot him with lightning despite the fact of how much he means to the world! How much he means to us…and, to me." She wiped at the tears that had fallen and continued to glare down at the injured girl. "If you had died, that would have been perfect, you know? A life for a life…" and her voice trailed off as she clenched her fists angrily.

Azula was suddenly reminded of a child, of someone who had all at once figured out that the world wasn't fair and that they couldn't understand why. She unexpectedly felt old and laughed quietly at this thought.

Katara took this the wrong way and opened her mouth to yell but stopped when she realized the golden eyes looking up at her suddenly looked so tired.

"Yeah," Azula agreed softly and gave Katara a self-depreciating smile. "I'm sure a lot of people would have liked that."

This was an unpredicted response and Katara seemed lost at the other girl's admissions. She paused and then turned away from the eyes that spoke with honest truth. She reached over, bended the water up from the ground, and without once looking back at Azula's face, returned to the task at hand.

Silence filled the tent once again and Azula closed her eyes as exhaustion washed over her, her earlier anger having left as fast as it had arrived. Before long, her breathing evened out and she had fallen asleep.

Katara watched her for a moment and then with a quick flick of her wrist returned the water back to the container and capped it. For now, she had done all she could but Azula would need a few more sessions until she would be healed completely. Physically, anyway.

The waterbender stood, took one last look at the sleeping figure and then exited the tent, feeling a myriad of emotions running through her mind at their exchange.

* * *

Author's Note: it's hard not using the same words over and over again. I need to strengthen my vocab or something and what's thisss? Katara might be warming up to Azula?

No! I am the rightful heir to the throne! Honorrrrrrrrrr


End file.
